Combining computational linguistics with sentence embedding to create a zero-shot NLIDB

Accessing relational databases using natural language is a challenging task, with existing methods often suffering from poor domain generalization and high computational costs. In this study, we propose a novel approach that eliminates the training phase while offering high adaptability across domains. Our method combines structured linguistic rules, a curated vocabulary, and pre-trained embedding models to accurately translate natural language queries into SQL. Experimental results on the SPIDER benchmark demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, with execution accuracy rates of 72.03% on the training set and 70.83% on the development set, while maintaining domain flexibility. Furthermore, the proposed system outperformed two extensively trained models by up to 28.33% on the development set, demonstrating its efficiency. This research presents a significant advancement in zero-shot Natural Language Interfaces for Databases (NLIDBs), providing a resource-efficient alternative for generating accurate SQL queries from plain language inputs.

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Publication Details

Journal
Array
Published
2024-10-24
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.array.2024.100368
Primary Topic
Topic Modeling
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Combining computational linguistics with sentence embedding to create a zero-shot NLIDB

Fernando Peres, Mauro Castelli, Yuriy Perezhohin
Array
Topic Modeling
article

Combining computational linguistics with sentence embedding to create a zero-shot NLIDB

Fernando Peres, Mauro Castelli, Yuriy Perezhohin
article en

Abstract

Accessing relational databases using natural language is a challenging task, with existing methods often suffering from poor domain generalization and high computational costs. In this study, we propose a novel approach that eliminates the training phase while offering high adaptability across domains. Our method combines structured linguistic rules, a curated vocabulary, and pre-trained embedding models to accurately translate natural language queries into SQL. Experimental results on the SPIDER benchmark demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, with execution accuracy rates of 72.03% on the training set and 70.83% on the development set, while maintaining domain flexibility. Furthermore, the proposed system outperformed two extensively trained models by up to 28.33% on the development set, demonstrating its efficiency. This research presents a significant advancement in zero-shot Natural Language Interfaces for Databases (NLIDBs), providing a resource-efficient alternative for generating accurate SQL queries from plain language inputs.

ArrayVol. 24
University of Lisbon (PT), Universidade Nova de Lisboa (PT)
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Quality Education
Openalex Percentile: Top 83%
Topic Modeling
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